Nintendo preps MP3 player accessory for DS, GBA

Nintendo has announced a new MP3 player cartridge for the GameBoy and Nintendo …

Nintendo has muddied the debate between users who favor multifunction gadgets versus single-purpose devices, by announcing a new MP3-playing addition to their line of handheld game player. The Nintendo MP3 player is slightly larger than a regular GameBoy Advance game cartridge, and it works with the Game Boy Micro, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, and of course, the Nintendo DS. In reality, the new MP3 player is a modified version of the Play-yan multimedia add-on that has been available in Japan for over a year.

The player uses standard SD memory cards to transport songs from a PC. Any MP3 file will work, but DRMed music files (such as Apple's AAC-DRM and Microsoft's WMA-DRM) will not. The cartridge comes with music playback software that runs on the Game Boy or DS.

According to Nintendo, the MP3 player features:

Built-in stereo headphone socket

Simple on-screen interface including Repeat and Shuffle modes

Two themes available for on-screen interface: standard and Mario

Drag and drop songs from PC to SD card, dividing artists or albums into folders as desired

Stores approximately 240 songs on a 1Gb SD card (SD card not included)

The Play-yan in Japan also has the capability of movie playback, but it appears as though Nintendo wanted to steer clear of that functionality.

Pricing has not been announced for the unit, but pricing in Europe—where the player will first appear—is expected to be approximately €30 ($38.47). The Nintendo MP3 player is scheduled to be released on December 8, the same day the Wii is launched in Europe. There is no word on when the unit might come to North America.

Nintendo's MP3 player with 'Mario' theme

The Nintendo DS's primary competitor, the Sony PSP, can already play MP3 files out of the box without an add-on. DS users have been able to rock out, too, as there are already homebrew software solutions like the freeware Moonshell media player for the DS, although the software requires a homebrew adapter to get the songs on to the DS in the first place.

Still, with the release of the player Nintendo is hoping that there is a market for multifunction devices, even ones specifically designed for game playing. Even if the device can only play MP3 files, it is still potentially one less item to carry around in your pocket. At least, that's what Nintendo hopes.